War Summary, Day 292 & 293: Two IDF soldiers were wounded—one moderately, and one lightly—in a drive-by shooting attack near the PA controlled village of Nabi Ilyas, an online group of hackers published photos with personal information of athletes in Israel’s Olympic delegation including personal ID, social media, passwords, family members, and photos of the athletes serving in the IDF, and hostage deal getting serious.
By Mrs. Bruria Efune
War Summary, Day 292 & 293:
115 held captive in Gaza.
48 hostages confirmed murdered in Gaza.
116 hostages rescued.
24 hostage bodies rescued.
1,572 Israelis killed.
327 fallen soldiers and police in the battle in Gaza.
18 fallen soldiers in Northern Israel.
9 fallen soldiers in Judea & Samaria.
20,100 estimated rockets fired at Israel.
90,000 Israelis displaced from their homes.
1 Jewish nation united in prayer, charity, and good deeds.
Top Headlines:
- Five hostage bodies rescued in evacuated humanitarian zone
- Hostage deal may be imminent
- Failed Hamas rocket hits UNRWA school
- Devastating fire in Manara, due to Hezbollah anti-aircraft fire
- Drive-by shooting in Judea and Samaria
- Iranian-backed group threatens Israeli Olympic delegation
Hostage Updates:
On Wednesday, the IDF rescued the bodies of five Israeli hostages, who had been killed on October 7th. The hostages are:
Maya Goren, 56, a preschool teacher from Kibbutz Nir Oz, who was killed while setting up her classroom.
Oren Goldin, 33, a member of the Nir Oz security team, who was killed while defending his community.
Ravid Katz, 51, a member of the Nir Oz security team, who was killed while defending his community.
Sgt. Kiril Brodski, 19, from the Gaza Division’s Southern Brigade, who was killed in battle on October 7th, near Kibbutz Nirim.
Staff Sgt. Tomer Yaakov Ahimas, 20, from the Gaza Division’s Southern Brigade, who was killed in battle on October 7th, near Kibbutz Nirim.
The IDF and Shin Bet learned the location of the bodies from Hamas terrorists who had been arrested in Gaza, and brought to Israel for interrogation. The location was in a tunnel under Khan Younis, in an area designated as part of the humanitarian zone. The IDF evacuated civilians from the area earlier this week, before entering, locating the tunnel, and retrieving the bodies. The tunnel was 200 meters long, and around 20 meters deep, with several rooms where the hostages were held.
Family members of hostages met in a meeting together with Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Biden, who gave them hope that “something will happen in the coming days,” according to Ruvi Chen, the father of hostage Itai Chen. Other family members at the meeting say that Biden and Netanyahu said that Hamas is in a position where they have nowhere left to hide, and need to agree to the offer, which will be submitted to them soon.
Hours later, U.S. Vice President Harris, said that there’s a deal on the table. In her speech, after condemning Hamas and mentioning the American hostages by name, Harris spoke about the suffering of the people in Gaza, and her commitment to helping them. She outlined the first two phases of the ceasefire agreement, without mentioning the hostages’ release. The VP wrapped up saying, “It is important for the American people to remember the war in Gaza is not a binary issue… Let us all condemn terrorism and violence… And let us condemn antisemitism, Islamophobia, and hate of any kind.”
In the first phase of the deal, the IDF is expected to evacuate from “population centers,” and release dangerous terrorists from prison, in exchange for the release of only the female, elderly, and ill hostages. Still unknown is if the IDF will maintain the vital Netzarim and Philadelphi Corridors. Earlier, Egypt was adamant that the IDF evacuate from the Philadelphi Corridor, which stretches along the Gaza-Egypt border. Yesterday, the Times of Israel reported, according to sources, that Egypt is warming up to the idea of Israel maintaining a level of control and presence over the Corridor. This comes after Prime Minister Netanyahu firmly insisted that Israel must continue to control the area in any ceasefire agreement.
The details of the deal are expected to be announced publicly soon.
Gaza Front Updates:
Hamas fired rockets at Kerem Shalom, which is both home to a civilian community, and the crossing through which humanitarian aid is delivered to Gaza.
The IDF announced the name of one hero who fell in Gaza:
Staff Sgt. Noam Douek, 19, from Kiryat Motzkin
Two others were seriously injured, in a tragic overnight incident which the IDF is currently investigating. It is suspected that Noam was killed and the others hurt by toxic fumes from a faulty generator which was in the room they were sleeping in.
Four divisions of IDF troops are currently operating in Gaza: the 98th Division in Khan Younis; the 99th Division along the Netzarim Corridor, and in southern neighborhoods of Gaza City; The Gaza Division in various areas in Gaza on pinpoint operations, and in the buffer zone; and the 162nd Division in Rafah and along the Philadelphi Corridor. Over the last day, the IDF struck more than 50 terror targets in Gaza.
A failed Hamas rocket launch, from within the humanitarian zone, fell short and hit UNRWA’s Al-Qarara school in Khan Younis. The rocket killed two civilians and wounded several who were sheltering in the building. The IDF coordinated the evacuation of the wounded to a hospital in Deir al-Balah.
In Rafah, troops are continuing with thorough searches for tunnels and other vital Hamas infrastructure. The IDF released footage of a tunnel shaft found in a little girl’s bedroom, in the Shaboura neighborhood of Rafah. In the Tel Sultan neighborhood, troops continue to battle Hamas terrorists, gun to gun.
Gaza Humanitarian Efforts Updates:
On Wednesday, 158 humanitarian aid trucks were transferred to Gaza, and entered Gaza via the Kerem Shalom (150) and Erez (8) crossings. In addition, 6 tankers of cooking gas designated for the operation of vital infrastructure were transferred to Gaza, at the request of humanitarian organizations.
Over the last few months, and since the closing of the Rafah Crossing, the IDF facilitated the successful rotation coordination of over 1,000 doctors and humanitarian personnel in and out of Gaza.
Terror Attacks in Israel:
Cpt. Ariel Topaz, 24, from Pardes Chana, succumbed to his wounds, after he was seriously wounded in a car-ramming attack on July 14 at the Nir Tzvi junction.
Ariel Topaz, who was off-duty at the time, served as an officer in the Military Intelligence Directorate’s Research Department.
Northern Front Updates:
Hezbollah continued to fire heavily on Israel’s far north. In one incident, during a barrage of attack drones, missiles, and rockets, an unsuccessful interception resulted in several fire outbreaks. Later in the day, anti-aircraft fire from Hezbollah resulted in a large fire, which spread into Kibbutz Manara, burning the kibbutz forest and ten homes—two of them completely destroyed. After about four hours, firefighters and volunteers had the fire under control.
On Wednesday, Hezbollah published a propaganda video, featuring drone footage of the Ramat David Airbase in northern Israel. The IDF clarified that the airbase was not threatened at any moment, and that the “activity of the base was not harmed.” Hezbollah has previously released similar videos with “spy” footage of IDF bases and other sensitive sites in Israel, threatening that they’re capable of attacking those locations.
The IDF responded with airstrikes to Hezbollah targets in Southern Lebanon, including direct hits on Hezbollah terrorists. Hezbollah announced their 370th member eliminated by the IDF since the start of the war, though the IDF estimates that the number is higher.
The commander of the Israeli Air Force told mayors of communities in the north that the attack on the Houthis in Yemen was meant as a signal to the entire Middle East—the the IDF is ready and capable of all operational plans, and “there will be as deadly a punch here as possible.”
Houthi & Iraqi War Front Updates:
In the last 24 hours, US Central Command forces (USCENTCOM) successfully destroyed two Houthi missiles on launchers in the Houthi-controlled area of Yemen.
Abdel-Malek Badr al-Din al-Houthi, the leader of the Houthi rebels, referred to the Israeli attack on the port of Hodeida in Yemen on Shabbat, and claimed that “it will not deter the Houthi army from its actions in solidarity with Gaza. The attacks on Israel will continue.” He added that “in the next phase, Yemen’s actions with the ‘Islamic resistance in Iraq’ will be evidence of an important development.”
On Wednesday, IDF fighter jets intercepted two attack drones launched by the Iranian-backed Islamic Resistance in Iraq, before they entered Israeli airspace.
Judea and Samaria Updates:
On Thursday morning, two IDF soldiers were wounded—one moderately, and one lightly—in a drive-by shooting attack, near the PA controlled village of Nabi Ilyas. The two were on patrol along the Route 55 highway. The IDF is searching for the terrorist gunmen.
On Wednesday morning, a Palestinian Authority (PA) customs police officer was shot dead by IDF troops in an incident near the city of Tubas. The troops were carrying out an operation, detaining two wanted men over their suspected involvement in terror activity. During the operation, troops were surrounded by armed terrorists and one soldier was lightly injured. The troops opened fire, resulting in the death of the PA officer. The IDF is investigating the circumstances of his involvement.
Later on Wednesday, the IDF detained five terror suspects near Tulkarem, including two who are suspected of carrying out the bomb attack near Chermesh last week, which left four Israelis injured.
Over the last week, Israeli security forces arrested around 50 wanted persons around Judea and Samaria, and confiscated several weapons, including an M16 and ammunition. Since the start of the war, more than 4,400 wanted persons have been arrested in the Judea and Samaria region, of which 1,850 are affiliated with Hamas, and the remainder associate with various other terror groups.
International Updates:
An online group, established in July 2022, published photos with personal information of athletes in Israel’s Olympic delegation—including personal ID, social media, passwords, family members, and photos of the athletes serving in the IDF. Israel’s cyber organization says that Iran is behind the campaign to instill fear in the Israeli athletes during the games.
The Israel News Agency reported that Britain will withdraw its opposition to the ICC issuing an international warrant against Netanyahu.
The Australian government imposed economic sanctions on seven Israelis who live in Judea and Samaria, due to “involvement in settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.”
In his speech in US Congress yesterday, where he received continuous standing ovations, Prime Minister Netanyahu emphasized the joint fate of Israel and the USA in the battle against terrorism.
The Prime Minister also ridiculed the anti-Israel protesters, and clearly spelled out the Jewish ties to the land, saying, “They call Israel a colonial state?! Don’t they know that the Land of Israel is the land where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob prayed, where Isaiah and Jeremiah preached, and where David and Solomon ruled? For nearly 4,000 years, the Land of Israel has been the homeland of the Jewish people. It has always been our home, it will always be our home!”
This statement brought a huge applause, a welcome change from claims to ownership simply because of the UN declaration. The Lubavitcher Rebbe emphasized that the strongest, and most respected argument, is in the Torah—that G-d promised this land to the Jewish people.
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